1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical score displaying apparatus for displaying a musical score corresponding to music piece data constituted of a series of note data each of which represents a note and includes at least a note number representative of a note name, a musical score displaying method, a musical score displaying program for implementing the musical score displaying method on a computer, a performance assisting apparatus for assisting a performance using the music piece data, a performance assisting method and a performance assisting program for implementing the performance assisting method on a computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As Japanese Utility Model Publication No.29-8926 discloses, there exists a well-known apparatus for musical educational purposes which provides each key a plate with color-coding of note name as xe2x80x9cDoxe2x80x9d red, xe2x80x9cRexe2x80x9d lemon and xe2x80x9cMixe2x80x9d green, enabling players to perform with the help of color-coded plates and a musical score whose notes are also color-coded in a like manner.
In recent years, on the other hand, a musical score displaying apparatus applied to an electronic musical instrument, a personal computers and so on, is capable of using music piece data constituted of a series of note data each of which represents a note, and displaying a musical score corresponding to the music piece data.
Although the former prior art is effective to help children and beginners identify a note with a key, it requires much expense in time and effort to prepare such color-coded musical scores for various music pieces. Also, it is impractical because the cost of manufacturing such musical scores is high.
In the latter prior art, since musical scores are displayed on a display device in monochrome (black and white), children and beginners have difficulty in finding the exact position of each note. Although it is possible to add information on color-coding of note to music piece data in order to display color-coded notes, each note data has to have color-coding information, which would increase the total volume of the music piece data and require specifically prepared music piece data. Therefore, the latter prior art is undesirable.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a musical score displaying apparatus, a musical score displaying method and a musical score displaying program for implementing the method on a computer, which make it easy for children and beginners to identify notes by displaying a musical score whose notes are color-coded by note names by using conventional music piece data, without requiring specifically prepared ones. Another object of the invention is to provide a performance assisting apparatus, a performance assisting method and a performance assisting program for implementing the method on a computer, which offer players higher effectiveness in practice by indicating to players performance operators such as keys to be depressed by lighting lamps which are color-coded in the same manner as the musical score display.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a musical score displaying apparatus for displaying a musical score corresponding to music piece data constituted of a series of note data each of which represents a note and includes at least a note number representative of a note name comprises a color monitor capable of displaying at least a musical score, and a musical score display controller for controlling the color monitor on the basis of the music piece data to display on the color monitor a musical score corresponding to the musical piece data, wherein a plurality of notes are displayed on the color monitor in a different color assigned to each note name based on note numbers included in the series of note data.
In the aspect of the present invention, the musical score display controller assigns note colors to be displayed on the color monitor. The color assignment is made by allocating a different color to each note name based on note numbers included in a series of note data. In this occasion, since each note number represents a note name, note colors to be displayed on a color monitor are easily varied by note names as far as a color monitor is provided. Because all the conventional music piece data include note numbers, the musical score display which offers players quick note identification is easily accomplished without requiring specifically prepared music piece data nor increasing the total amount of the music piece data.
Although the color assignment defined by the display controller can be fixed, it is also left customizable so that users can change color assignment. By customizing color assignment, users with partial colorblindness who have difficulty in perceiving certain colors are capable of using colors which they can easily distinguish.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a performance assisting apparatus for assisting performance based on music piece data constituted of a series of note data each of which represents a note and includes at least a note number representative of a note name comprises a plurality of performance operators which are provided in corresponding relation to a plurality of note names and are used to trigger generation of a plurality of musical tones corresponding to the plurality of note names respectively by performance operation, a plurality of performance indicators which are provided in corresponding relation to the plurality of performance operators, for indicating a performance operator to be operated by lighting in a different color assigned to each note name, a performance indication controller for controlling the plurality of performance indicators on the basis of the music piece data, so that the plurality of performance indicators indicate a performance operator to be operated by lighting in a different color assigned to each note name, a color monitor capable of displaying at least a musical score, and a musical score display controller for controlling the color monitor on the basis of the musical piece data to display on the color monitor a musical score corresponding to the musical piece data, wherein a plurality of notes are displayed on the color monitor in a different color assigned to each note name based on note numbers included in the series of note data by adopting the same color assignment that is used by said plurality of performance indicators.
In the second aspect of the present invention, the performance indication controller controls the performance indicators based on musical piece data, and the performance indicators indicate the performance operators to be operated by lighting in a different color assigned to each note name. The musical score display controller controls the color monitor based on musical piece data, displays on the color monitor a musical score corresponding to the musical piece data, and assigns note colors to be displayed on the color monitor based on note numbers included in a series of note data by adopting the same color assignment that is used by the performance indicators. As a result, a light color emitted by a performance indicator for indicating a performance operator to be operated always coincides with a note color in a musical score displayed on the color monitor.
The second aspect of the present invention brings players who follow performance instruction enhanced effectiveness of practicing, allowing them to easily perceive notes in a musical score as well as positions of performance operators. Not only the first aspect of the present invention but also the second aspect can easily realize musical score display which offers players easy perception of notes, without requiring specifically prepared musical piece data, nor increasing the total amount of music piece data.
The second aspect of the present invention may be accomplished by providing the plurality of performance indicators with a plurality of various colors of monochromatic light-emitting devices, wherein a different color is assigned to each note name. On this occasion, the musical score display controller assigns note colors displayed on the color monitor in accordance with the light color assignment of light-emitting devices.
Another way to achieve the second aspect of the present invention is to provide the performance indicators each of which is comprised of a combination of a plurality of different colors of light-emitting elements (e.g. three light-emitting elements each of which emits a colored light of red, blue or green). On this occasion, the performance indication controller assigns a different color to each note name based on a note number when it controls the performance indicators in accordance with music piece data. The assignment defines luminance of each light-emitting element so that the performance indicators can emit various colors. When the musical score display controller assigns colors to note names to be displayed in a musical score on the color monitor, it employs the same color assignment which is employed by the performance indication controller.
As described above, when each of the performance indicators is comprised of a combination of a plurality of light-emitting elements with different colors, a color assignment applied to both light colors for the performance indicators and note colors for the musical score display may be fixed. The color assignment also may be left customizable, so that players with partial colorblindness who have difficulty in perceiving certain colors are capable of using colors which they can easily distinguish.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a musical score displaying method and a musical score displaying program are provided, while a performance assisting method and a performance assisting program are provided; the musical score displaying method is provided to accomplish the same capabilities as the musical score displaying apparatus; the musical score displaying program is provided to realize the method on a computer; the performance assisting method is provided to accomplish the same capabilities as the performance assisting apparatus; the performance assisting program is provided to realize the method on a computer. By these methods and programs, the same capabilities as described above are obtained, and the same effect as describe above is produced.